


lost in skies of powdered gold

by silverasteria (SmilingCheshire)



Series: let your colors bleed and blend with mine [1]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, M/M, Non-Linear Narrative
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-27
Updated: 2018-04-16
Packaged: 2019-03-24 15:06:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,847
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13813713
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SmilingCheshire/pseuds/silverasteria
Summary: Uchiha Madara has been told of his clan's history for as long as he can remember, he has been told of how he is descended from both a goddess and a monster, and that by all rights, his family is better than all others.His best friend is an enemy, Senju Hashirama, a soldier in their forefathers' war as well. His younger brother, Tobirama, has been Marked and with it, all that it entails.





	1. tearing into me

**Author's Note:**

> This was supposed to be a one-shot but I thought it would be better as a multi-chapter story. I hope you like it!

Uchiha Madara learns about his clan’s origin’s as a young child, as every Uchiha child does. He hears the stories of the Valg, beings so ancient nobody can remember their origins, and the lost fire Goddess that a Valg Prince fell in love with, their child being the first in the Uchiha line.

It is utter nonsense, of course, because while the Uchiha Clan can claim to be descended from the Valg (it was very likely, the Uchiha possess similar, if not the exact same, qualities of the Valg), but having the blood of a Goddess in their veins? That isn’t just unlikely, it’s near impossible.

It is almost laughable to be taught that something as beautiful and covetted ran through their veins while being called brutes by other clans. They are called lucky to have evolved their Sharingan magic, it was the type of magic that _had_ to be passed down genetically ( _or in the rarest cases, transplanted into another person’s eye but that’s so rare, it was almost a legend_ ).

However, the Clan Elders stick to the fire goddess’s story, telling the children that one day they’ll understand and accept that the fire goddess is their foremother. Izuna believes them, enraptured by the tales, completely ignoring the fact that the Clan Elders refuse to speak her name. They claim that speaking her name will attract the Bijuu, gods trapped in mortal form, which was a good enough excuse Madara will admit, but it’s more likely that the originator of the myth wasn’t creative enough to name the supposed goddess.

Madara doesn’t get it, shouldn’t they be learning about the Senju and their weaknesses? Or some other clan, like the Uzumaki who in times past were said to be the hosts of gods, almost as famously was the rare trait of seers often being born into their clan. He just doesn’t _understand_.

When he’s feeling bold, he skips the useless history sessions to go train by the river. By the riverside is where he meets Hashirama, a boy that scream ‘nature’ in a way Madara’s never felt before ( _not that Madara often feels nature magic, usually he feels suffocated by the magic his family has - fire and lightning and wind_ ). At first, Madara thought he was a nature spirit of some sort ( _a dryad, probably, even though they were almost always female_ ), he spends a while believing this but he feels so _different_ from the dryad Madara has come across. He feels more like a pure Fae than anything he has ever felt before and while his mind immediately jumps to the Senju, there are many other pure Fae clans - like the Inuzuka, the Hatake, and the Nara and countless others Madara can’t think of off the top of his head. It’s _fine_.

He and Hashirama spend their days skipping rocks and talking about their dreams for peace ( _the clan would say that peace is impossible, that the warrior instinct is literally bred into their blood but Madara can’t help but disagree_ ). They don’t speak of their families, often, for learning too much could break their careful truce.

“Madara,” Hashirama greets, having reached the river before Madara.

Madara smiles at his friend, “Hashirama,” he says as he reaches Hashirama’s side of the riverbank.

Hashirama is sitting with his arms wrapped around his legs, his head resting on his knees. “What’s wrong?” Madara sits down next to him. This didn’t feel like one of Hashirama’s normal depressive fits, but he could never be sure.

“My brother…” Hashirama says, which isn’t really helpful at all considering Hashirama has three brothers to choose from, “he did something stupid.”

“Itama or Kawarama?” Madara asks because he can’t really know what Hashirama means by ‘stupid’ unless he knows which brother did the thing since they both bring different definitions of stupid.

Hashirama shakes his head, finally looking up, “Tobirama.” Which Madara wasn’t expecting, Tobirama had always seemed like the logical brother who could never do something stupid from Hashirama’s stories.

“... Tobirama? What’d he do?” Madara says, hoping not to sounds as shocked as he feels.

Hashirama sighs and runs his fingers through his hair, “He earned the favor of a god. I don’t know what he did, but one day he came home from training and he was _Marked_. He won’t tell us which god Marked him, outright refuses to.” Madara isn’t sure what he was expecting but the thought of Tobirama being Marked never even occurred to him.

“Isn’t being Marked an honor above all others?” Madara is confused, he had never met someone who had been Marked, they were rare since the gods are tempermental who can barely ever find someone they can stand, let alone Mark as theirs.

“I guess,” Hashirama shrugs, “but Father said that being Marked can lead to being targeted by the Wild Hunt.” They both shudder at the Wild Hunt’s mention, they were told the horror stories as children, about how the Wild Hunt will abduct those they find worthy out of their beds and force them into their ranks, about how being killed by a foot soldier is a mercy compared to being killed by their leader.

“They say there’s a reason there are so few Marked,” Hashirama whispers, “that Kaguya kills them all or, if she likes them, Marks them for herself. I don’t want Tobirama to go through that, I can’t let him.” There’s a sudden fierceness in Hashirama’s eyes, “Sorry, Madara, I have to go!”

Madara stays by the riverside for a while, skipping stones and practicing ninjutsu, and by the time he goes home, Izuna is furious.

“Where have you been?” He hisses as he grabs Madara’s wrist, “There’s a war council going on and Father wants us there, come on!”

They stumble into the War Room and their father’s cold gaze lands on them, “Madara, Izuna, come here.” There’s a sharpness in those words that makes Madara want to flinch but instead he schools his features and moves to his father’s side.

Izuna stands next to Madara, listening to his father with an intense expression (Izuna had long since given up on peace but Madara still clings to it). “Apparently the Senju have a sensor on their side,” Tajima says, his voice harsh and mocking.

There weren’t many sensors in their clan, not many strong enough to make a difference at least. Tajima wouldn’t bring up a sensor unless they were _strong_ , stronger than anyone they had. “Our scouts have reported that this sensor has been said to be able to sense anyone in the Fire Country.” Madara wants to scoff at that because sensors that strong only belonged to the Uzumaki, who didn’t even live in the Fire Country (Madara thinks of how, if the Senju had a sensor that strong, they had not won the war already, it didn’t make sense). “Until these rumors prove to be false, everyone must stay on their guard,” Tajima states as if that weren’t obvious, “dismissed.”

Madara and Izuna began to walk out, “Do you think it’s true?” Izuna whispered, pulling Madara down the hall towards their rooms.

“Maybe,” Madara says, thinking about how Hashirama used to say Tobirama was the strongest sensor he had ever met despite being a child.

Could Hashirama, his best friend, really be the enemy?


	2. walking barefoot in the snow

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took forever to upload! I'm not sure why, I think it's because my internet connect was pretty awful today but anyway! I hope you like it, this chapter has a different style, I think, but I like it better. Also, Tobirama's POV!

  _“Impure,” is what they snarl as they drop out of trees, their voices hold a thousand years of resentment and prejudice. “Unnecessary, evil things,” They whisper as they gut their enemies. “You are a stain upon this earth and you will be cleansed.”_

_An aura of hatred follows them as they leave the bodies of their enemies to rot and be eaten by animals, little do they know their souls will be saved, or perhaps damned, by an awaited savior._

_She walks with a sort of grace lost in time, her heavy dress brushing the ground. She breathes life into the bodies, watching as they mutate to serve her purpose and she watches with glee. “My children,” she says as they get to their feet, “death will no longer touch you, pain will no longer daunt you, you will be without weakness and you will serve me for the rest of your existence.”_

_The undead creaked and groaned as they moved, they were of rotting flesh and bare bone, “Moth-”_

* * *

 

Tobirama awakens with a start, the dream - it was like he was really there, watching as the dead rose. He could smell the dead’s flesh, the sweet scent of their queen, and a sense of dread that that really happened.

He dresses in light clothing, leaving his armor behind. The Uchiha won’t try anything today, they are spread too thin as they make alliances. He mulls over telling Butsuma but decides against it, he probably already knows and if Tobirama tries to tell him anyway, he’ll get angry.

He leaves his house and catches sight of Mito sitting alone. It’s odd to see her without Hashirama, besides the fact that they’re betrothed, they’re also friends and spend most of their time together.

“Hello,” Tobirama greets as he sits down next to her. Mito’s face is obscured by a fan, but Tobirama can feel her smiling.

“Tobirama,” she says, “hello.”

She glances at him before facing forward, “Hashirama got in another fight with Butsuma. It seems to be happening more and more lately.”

“Where’d he go?” Tobirama asks because Hashirama always runs off into the woods to cool off.

Mito stands up and snaps her fan closed, “Come with me.” She begins to walk off with Tobirama following behind.

“Where are we going?” He asks but she only smiles with lips painted red (it used to remind Tobirama of blood and, perhaps, that assessment wasn’t far off).

Mito’s lips quirk slowly and she takes his hand, “Do not stray off the path, lest you lose your life.” Her finger nails are painted red, the same color that’s painted on her lips and the natural shade of her hair. “There things in that forest more dangerous than you or I.”

She lets that stew in Tobirama’s mind as she leads him out of the compound and into the forest, the one she had just warned against. She doesn’t let go of his hand but neither does she speak, he doesn’t either.

They walk for a time, the only sounds the breaking of branches and the crunching of leaves they step on.

“The little folk have been rather active lately,” Mito says, breaking the companionable silence that had enveloped them.

“Have they? I haven’t seen them in some time.” Tobirama knows the little folk never liked him, they run when he sees them and they never left him gifts like his brother.

“That’s because they’re afraid of you, Tobirama. They know not that you mean well, they see you as a white wolf, a predator. They see me as one as well, but they give me gifts to keep me in their good graces, they just never thought of you as in them. I suppose that’s a curse of yours.”

“And I suppose I have many curses laid upon me.”

Mito stops, they’re in a clearing now, Hashirama isn’t anywhere to be seen. “One day, you will understand why you were born with white hair and red eyes, not today but someday.”

She lets go of his hand and wraps an arm around his shoulder, “I’m sorry,” she whispers, just loud enough to be heard, “he wanted to meet you.”

He turns to look at Mito, to ask what she means, but she’s gone, as if she was never there.

“Who are you?” A voice, rasping from disuse, asks. Tobirama can feel how ancient it is, how he’ll never meet anything as old, or as powerful.

Tobirama could be polite, _should_ be polite, but cannot stop himself as he says, “Who do you want me to be?”

There’s a laugh, harsh and hoarse, “You, boy, are not what I thought you’d be.”

Tobirama arches a brow, “And what would that be?”

“Not anything you’d want to know.”

* * *

It wasn’t really Mito that brought him to the clearing, just a shade meant to imitate her. She was solid though, which made Tobirama think. “How did you do it?” He asks, because he _has_ to know.

“I didn’t make that shade in any way you can, boy,” they say (Tobirama asked his name once, it wasn’t an experience he wanted to repeat). Today they had taken the form of an Uchiha boy about the same age as Tobirama, it would have been disorienting if they hadn’t changed form _everyday_ since they met.

“Then I’ll make my own way,” Tobirama says because he’s figured out that he’ll advise him if he figures it out on his own. “What should I call you by the way? It doesn’t have to be your real name, I’m just getting tired of calling you ‘they’ and ‘them’.”

They tilt their head, searching, “You may call me Izuna for today.”

It wasn’t what Tobirama wanted but it’s _something_ and he’ll take what he can get. “Alright.”

* * *

“I have decided that I like you,” Izuna announces like it’s some great revelation, like they hadn’t spent days together.

Tobirama squints up at them because he had _almost_ figured it out, “So you were spending the day with me for nothing?” It sounds more snapish than he meant but he doesn’t really care.

Izuna rolls their eyes and shakes their head, “Why must I like the single human who isn’t trying to gain my favor?” They sigh dramatically, leaning heavily against Tobirama.

“What do you mean? Literally _nobody_ would try to gain your favor!”

“You’re a fool, Tobirama, you’re lucky I like you.” They step closer and place a kiss on Tobirama’s forehead. “I’ll see you soon!”

Tobirama’s face burns after that, almost feeling numb, but he manages to get home and falls into bed.

* * *

_“-er!” The undead tear at their mother’s dress as she begins to walk off. She knew they would follow for they were loyal monsters and they would do anything for their dear mother. They scramble after her, perhaps they knew true loyalty or perhaps they wished for her to return them to their old appearance, it mattered not._

_“My darling children,” she says as she stepping onto a stone path, her voice as sweet as honey, “remember to stick to the path, lest you lose your second life.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Mito's in this chapter, not just because I love her, she has a pretty important role in the future and I wanted to her to move into the Senju compound sooner than she does in canon. In my mind, their marriage has already been arranged, it has been since they were small children and sending your children away was a common practice back then so I thought that if they were to be married then having live at the Senju compound made sense.
> 
> Also, who do you think this 'Izuna' is? Because I can assure you it is not the real one, I'd love to know your thoughts!
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	3. haunt me in my sleep

“Little brother!” Hashirama calls as he stomps in Tobirama’s room, seeing his younger brother face down on his bed, dead to the world. For a second, Hashirama marvels at the sight, his brother usually had to dragged kicking and screaming ( _ well, maybe not kicking and screaming, but he is grumpier than usual _ ) to bed and then sleeps restlessly as if burdened by unknowable knowledge. He probably is, of course, Tobirama is the smartest person he has ever met and he doesn’t share very often, even with the people he is closest with. 

Hashirama smiles, feeling mischievous. “Tobirama,” he says dramatically, falling on top of his brother, “I’m devastated.”

That definitely woke him up, he hates being woken up and maybe, if Hashirama were a better brother he would have let him sleep. Tobirama props himself up on an arm, “What are you doing?” He asks, not that he really has too, Tobirama already knows Hashirama’s up to something.

“I’m devastated,” Hashirama repeats, not bothering to look at his brother, “It’ll be a very long story so get comfortable.” Tobirama rolls over so he can lie next to him, and also to get him off him.

Hashirama lies on his side, so he’ll be able to see his brother’s reaction when he realizes this is a joke, when he stops, “Tobirama, what are those?” There are three identical red lines on his brother’s face, two on either cheek and one on his chin. They look like those of a Marked from the books of their childhood. Hashirama’s stomach drops.

Tobirama rolls his eyes, obviously not taking his brother seriously, “If you’re just going to joke around, let me sleep longer, I’m exhausted.”

“Tobirama!” He says sharply, “Tell me where you got those lines on your face. The ones that look like what a Marked would have.” He desperately searches Tobirama’s carefully blank face, for something, anything. There’s nothing, because Tobirama never tells him  _ anything _ .

“They’re tattoos,” he says simply, as if that weren’t a blatant lie.

“Tobirama,  _ please _ .”

He turns over and closes his eyes. ( _ Well, that’s the end of  _ that.)

* * *

 

Hashirama knocks politely on Kawarama’s door, hoping Itama is inside as well. 

The door is opened to reveal Kawarama’s head of brown hair. “Hashirama?” He asks, his brow furrowed, “Aren’t you supposed to train today?”

“No, well yes, but I need to talk to you,” Hashirama says and hopes he’s doesn’t sound foolish to his younger brother, well at least not as foolish as he thinks he sounds.

Kawarama nods and steps the side to let him in. Kawarama’s room is sparsely decorated and cleaned with precision, he’d probably just finished cleaning it. 

Hashirama sits down on the bed, it’s small and grey and fit for only one but Kawarama sits next to him anyway. “What’s wrong, brother?” He asks and Hashirama must look frantic for him to ask such a thing but Hashirama just looks to his brother with tired eyes.

“Tobirama’s been Marked, Kawarama.” His voice cracks on his Tobirama’s name, the connotations of being Marked are infamous. They’re spoken of as a cautionary tale around campfires and are taken for granted so much that people forget that the gods are very much still alive and are unforgiving.

Kawarama is silent as he processes. “What?” He asks, almost silently with heartbreak in his voice. Tobirama had always been his favorite brother, the one he went to when he had nightmares and the one he went to when he was too scared to sleep. It had hurt when they were younger, but now all Hashirama wants is for those days again, when everything had been so simple, so easy.

“A god has Marked our brother as theirs, we can’t do anything about it. Gods are very territorial.” Hashirama wishes he can take it back after he sees Kawarama’s sorrowful face.

“Come on,” he says, because, really, it’s all he can do to keep from breaking down, “we need to tell Itama.”

The door slides open and there Itama is standing with barely restrained tears welling up in his eyes, “I heard.”

Hashirama is on his feet in an instant, closing the door and putting his arm around his baby brother. He sits Itama down on the bed, keeping his arms around his brother. “Father told me to practice my stealth,” he hiccups, “just listen in on little conversations, I didn’t want to hear this!”

He’s crying, Itama had always been the most sensitive out of the four of them, if Tobirama dies after so many near misses, he could break.

“Let’s go find Tobirama, have him explain, okay?”

* * *

 

“What did you do?!” Tobirama asks as he paces, glaring at the perfect imitation of Touka. They’re sitting in the middle of the clearing, pretending to meditate.

They open one eye outlined in khol, “I have already told you.” Their voice is calm but edged with annoyance. They make a point to roll the eye to express their annoyance even more, before they close it so they can pretend to meditate.

“Hashirama said I was Marked by a god!” Tobirama snaps, not worrying because he’s said much worse in their presence. “What did you do?”

Touka scoffs, “Do you think I kissed you just for fun? No, that was my blessing so you would be  _ mine _ .” They stand up, with all the grace Touka has despite the long limbs.

“Do you know what that means? I’ll be hunted for the rest of my life!” Tobirama snaps, he runs his fingers through his hair and closes his eyes. He just - he just needs to  _ think _ .

Touka furrows their brow, “No one would dare harm something a god classifies as theirs.” It is said with certainty which is such fucking  _ bullshit _ .

“Have you ever heard of Kaguya? She classifies everything as hers and she doesn’t like it when proof of other gods pops up.  _ Oh god _ , she’s going to kill me.” Tobirama can’t think, his mind is overcome with panic because this person he had almost trusted had basically given him his death sentence.

“Senju Tobirama,” Touka says, suddenly serious, “I promise you that she will never be able to harm you, not with me by your side.”

Tobirama stiffens, “Have you ever asked if I wanted you by my side? Just leave me alone, if I want to talk to you, I’ll seek you out.” There’s an unspeakable sadness on Touka’s face, and Tobirama has to remind himself this  _ isn’t  _ Touka and he shouldn’t care. 

But he does.

So he does what he can do and runs.

* * *

 

Tobirama collapse by the riverside, he’s not unconscious but his limbs burn as if the  _ god _ that had claimed him was punishing him like a toddler having temper tantrum. He laughs, slow and bitter, because that is  _ exactly _ what’s happening.

“Hey!” A chakra signature he hadn’t noticed, his senses are dulling because of the god’s tantrum. “Are you okay?” 

_ No _ , he thinks bitingly,  _ my friend betrayed me _ . “Fine,” he croaks, he sounds like he’s been without water for weeks and winces at that.

“You don’t sound fine.” They are a lot closer now, right next to Tobirama. “I can help you!”

He helps Tobirama sit up with careful hands, despite obviously not being a medic. He’s an Uchiha, one identical to the one the god was wearing when he marked him, but Tobirama can’t bring himself to care.

“I’m Izuna, by the way.”

Tobirama pauses for a moment, searching but this boy’s chakra’s nothing like the god’s. “Tobirama.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just wanted to clarify this is a non-linear narrative, I haven't said it but I think you all got it.
> 
> So! Hashirama finds out and so do their brothers. I'll get more into them and their feelings about this whole thing in the next chapter, but I think they're understandably upset. Kawarama and Itama are alive because medical magic can fix more than medical jutsu, we'll probably get into that later.
> 
> Tell me what you thought of the chapter or if you have any questions!


	4. there's an old voice in my head

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You will be the villain of someone else’s story.” The words are spoken with such certainty, she truly believes he will become a villain. A part inside Madara aches, a small part that he tries to keep hidden away, but it aches all the same. “All you have to do is make sure you’re the hero of your own story.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry that this took so long! I wanted to get it out sooner but I've been really busy with school and my dog had surgery the other day so I've been taking care of her.

_ He’s sitting on a blanket in a field, watching swaying grass when she sits next to him. “Do they still tell horror stories about me?” She asks, reclining in the sunlight. Her voice is soft, the type of voice only someone truly good could have. _

_ “Are you the type of person who horror stories should be told about?” Madara asks because he truly is curious, even if he can’t trust a single word out of her mouth. _

_ “Of course not, but every great story needs a villain,” she sighs, then tilting her head, she adds, “one day, you’ll understand, Madara.” _

_ “What do you mean?” It’s a simple question, but it’s a question whose answer he fears. _

_ “Oh, you poor child.” She cups his face in her hands and Madara truly looks at her for the first time, her long white hair’s falling in her face but that isn’t what grabbed his attention. No, it’s her eyes, the normal two house the Byakugan - there is a third eye, located in the middle of her forehead, it is the Sharingan but it has more tomoe than any he’s ever seen. _

_ “You will be the villain of someone else’s story.” The words are spoken with such certainty, she truly believes he will become a villain. A part inside Madara aches, a small part that he tries to keep hidden away, but it aches all the same. “All you have to do is make sure you’re the hero of your own story.” _

* * *

Madara’s head aches as he sits up, instinctively he folds his legs under himself and rests his elbows on his knees as he leans onto his arms to try and make the pain go away.  _ Could this be from overuse of his Sharingan? He doesn’t think so, the pain is different then… could it be from that dream? It had been so different from his regular dreams and that woman, who was she? _

A goddess is what he wants to say, and perhaps he would if he knew more about the ways goddesses but it is just as likely that she is simply a trickster, a kitsune of some sort. The pain in her voice and the sorrow that lined her face makes him think that she was genuine, for kitsune, no matter how old, could portray that as rawly as the woman had.

The door slams open, causing Madara to startle. Izuna is standing there, looking frenzied, “There you are!” He says as he hurries into the room, “Come on, I need your help with something.”

If Madara had the energy to argue, he would have but he’s just so tired. He lets Izuna pull him along, somewhere in his mind he’s curious as Izuna pulls him away from the compound and into the forest.

Izuna leads him to the riverside ( _ his riverside, his and Hashirama’s _ ) where they find a boy sleeping. There’s an odd look about him, not just the unnaturally pale skin and the white hair - but also three identical lines on his face ( _ they scream MARKED from miles away _ ).

When they approach, he sits upright and looks right at them. His eyes are red. He scrambles to his feet, to get to away from them.  _ Just me _ , Madara thinks,  _ he’s scared of me. _

Those red eyes lock onto him like he’s something offensive and impure. “You’re  _ god-touched _ ,” he whispers, just loud enough for Madara and Izuna to hear. And Madara freezes.

The difference between the Marked and god-touched is simple, the Marked are wanted and the god-touched are circumstantial. The number of god-touched is unknown, gods are careless, and nobody knows how to keep track of them so they just don’t. But this boy, a random boy Izuna found, can tell he communed with a god? Now that is interesting.

“God-touched?” Izuna says, sounding awed as if one of the  _ Marked _ isn’t standing before him.

“How would you know that?” Madara asks, not bothering to deny it. That woman really was a goddess.

“It’s simple,” he says, voice cold and impersonal, “it’s written all over you.”

_ Written? _ Madara wonders,  _ did she mean for him to run into a Marked? Or was it a coincidence?  _ He has to go with the former, just until he can prove otherwise.

“It’s like with how you could tell I was Marked,” the boy says, “I can see it on you just plain as I can see that your hair is black, being god-touched is now ingrained in your very being, your soul will bear the burden for the rest of time.”

Madara stares at him, unbelieving. “That’s so cool, Madara!” Izuna says, smiling brightly.

“Thanks for the help, Izuna, but I really must be going.” He bow for a second before crossing the river and disappearing into the forest.

“How odd,” Madara comments.

“Yeah, I thought he was injured too,” Izuna says, “we should be getting home, Father might be looking for us.”

* * *

 

_ He’s sitting in the same field, watching the same grass sway, under him is the same blanket. She sits beside him once again, looking blissful. _

_ “I missed it, you know?” She says when she notices him watching.  _

_ “What’d you miss?” Madara asks, he’s not really interested, he’s just humoring her because isn’t that what you do when a goddess who can kill you with a single thought has invaded your dreamscape? _

_ Dreamscapes are scared and invading one is seen as an utmost breach of privacy. It’s seen as disgraceful to enter one uninvited but gods do not curve to ways of man. This goddess, whoever she is, would not leave just because he asked. _

_ “The sun.” It’s a simple answer yet a thought provoking one at the same time. “For so long I have been confined to the moon and distant stars, it is nice to see it again even if it isn’t real.” _

_ “Why couldn’t you see the sun?” It seems like the simplest question, even if Madara knows it’s not. _

_ “I wasn’t always a goddess. I was a creature of magic, like you, and how I loved magic. I was once the greatest magic user the world had ever seen and because of that, they feared me. They had no reason to worry, until they displeased me. When I reached the power of a god, I was unstoppable. I destroyed entire races and cities and kingdoms. _

_ “The old gods barely cared enough to check on this world, but with so many people praying they just had to know what was going on. And they found me, a simple human girl with power enough to rival them and they got scared so they confined me. They trapped me with the moon, I live as the sun dies and my punishment was that I would never see it live again.” _

_ She places a hand on his cheek, “Remember Madara, the old gods scarcely care. But you and I do, reach the power of a god and take your rightful place by my side.” _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not sure if I like this chapter but it's all I have. So Kaguya is officially apart of the narrative now and she's already begun to manipulate Madara. Tobirama may seem all knowing or something but that's just because Madara doesn't know him, I promise you, he's figuring it out as he goes along. I'm sorry if Izuna is portrayed weirdly, when I was 12/13 I had major depression (still do), so I'm not sure how a regular kid around that age would act.


	5. gods of rage and ruin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mito knows.

Butsuma is not a kind man, he doesn’t try to hide it. He expects his sons to be perfect warriors and he rages when one falls on the training ground more than he would sob if they’re felled on the battlefield. Mito hates him, deep into her being with a passion that could be feared ( _ perhaps it is  _ his _ influence but Mito is not foolish enough to think of such things _ ).

She wishes to speak to Tobirama, she knows much in the way of gods and perhaps, she could be of some help to him. He is a child still, for however Butsuma tries to change that, and the thought of a god Marking such a boy makes her fists clench and for anger to rush through her body.

She wears a calm facade, it’s what people expect of her, after all. Even when she can feel the rage burn underneath her skin, her face is slack.   
  
Despite her desperate need to speak with Tobirama, she goes about her daily life (her eye is always searching for Tobirama, though).   
  
She smiles thankfully when tea is placed in front of her, Touka thanks the server. Mito studies her when she isn’t looking (Touka is pretty in an unconventional sort of way and if Mito wasn’t promised to Hashirama, she might have considered it).

Mito drinks her tea and thinks of Tobirama.  _ I hope his Patron isn’t a vengeful god, not like  _ mine _ , _ she thinks. (Thinking of her Patron makes her want to massage her temples; the fire in her veins and smoke on her breath makes her want to cry).

* * *

Mito dreams of fire that night, like most nights. She has gotten used to the hot flames, the overwhelming heat. She drinks scorching tea with a sly grin at her table mate.

“You wished to speak with me?” He asks, his voice is deep and rumbling. Once Mito would have shriveled up in fear, but she is not a child any longer.

“Yes,” she says matter-of-factly, “a friend of mine has been Marked. I want to know what you know of it.”

He blinks heavily, “The albino, tch. The scent of death follow him everywhere, even more so since he’s been Marked.”

Mito takes a long breath, “Thank you, Kurama.” (He doesn’t respond, he’s already fallen asleep.)

* * *

Mito catches Tobirama’s arm in the early morning, he’s on his way to morning training. This is the first time Mito has seen him in weeks. “Tobirama,” she says softly, full of deadly promise.

“Yes?” His body is tense, he’s on the verge of wrenching his arm away (Mito can’t blame him).

“You’ve been Marked,” Mito says and he nods slowly, sadly.

Mito wishes she could shield him for he is a child still (Mito has not been a child since she was six, when the god Kurama and her souls were intertwined). 

Mito smiles slightly, full of dark humor, “I have been the host of a god since I was a child, I know your pain.” She wishes to embrace him, to hold him tight like her mother never did, and tell him it would work out in the end. “Just know, you’ll always have an ally in me.”

The smile she receives in return is small but it warms her heart all the same.

* * *

Hashirama is nature’s perfect child, Mother Nature’s son reborn (he is a dryad without a tree, a restless spirit with no home), but Tobirama is his brother. (Mother Nature’s sibling is rarely spoken of, but they are the incarnate of death. Somehow, it is oddly fitting for Tobirama.)

Hashirama is earth, but Tobirama is water (people forget that water is a killer, it drowns and takes, and it is unforgiving). 

(Mito doesn’t forget, she has seen the wrath of water magic before and is not eager to see it again.)

* * *

“I met a boy who was God-touched,” Tobirama tells Mito one night as she puts up wards. It is careful work but Mito doesn’t mind the talk.

“Really?” She asks as she works out the calculations, drawing them into the dying wards.

“Yeah, he was an Uchiha.” The words are simple but contain far from simple meanings.

“Odd.”

They sit in silence after that, Tobirama reads and Mito puts up wards. (It’s not her favorite magic, but she loves all kind of magic, it’s a thrill just to cast.)

* * *

Fire flows through her veins, lightning in her eyes. (She is fire, she is lightning.) She is the vessel of the fire god, Kurama, and she knows more than child thrust into this life. (She is chosen, she is made for this life and they are but babies stumbling into on trembling feet.)

She is quiet as she follow Tobirama, silent. (He knows she’s there, though, and he doesn’t object.) They’re by a riverbank, a place Hashirama likes to frequent. “Will they come?” She asks, already knowing the answer.

“Yes,” Tobirama says, needlessly (they both know she already knows).

They sit on the riverbank and tease each other, throwing grass in each other’s faces. They swim in the river for a bit, just long enough to get their hair wet, really, but it was fun all the same. Mito is staring up at the sun when they arrive, Tobirama is sitting under shady trees nearby.

“Hello,” she says as she sits up, a smile plastered on her face (it’s so painfully fake but they don’t seem to notice, how Mito hates involving young ones in this dangerous life).

“Who are you?” The younger one, Izuna, asked.

“Tobirama and I are friends, I know more about this kind of stuff so he thought to bring me.” They look sceptical, which Mito doesn’t mind. She simply smiles and watches the boys as they sit.  
Tobirama sits down next to her as she says, “You are God-touched and Tobirama is Marked. Your lives will never be the same, things will come after you, those after another god’s favor or perhaps, a bounty hunter seeing a rare treat. You need to survive and to survive you  _ must _ be careful. You live and you die by these terms...”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this took foreverrrr, i was on vacation and then school kicked my ass (and now i think i'm getting sick?) but i'm back! i hope you enjoyed (also mito acting like tobirama's big sister is adorable, okay??)
> 
> [ **I have a blog to match this pseud now, you can scream at me there** ](https://sliver-asteria.tumblr.com/)


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